- 1876-06-14 — Birth of George Townshend, Hand of the Cause of God, in Dublin.
- 1920-00-00 — George Townshend became a Bahá'í, and sent a letter of acceptance of the Faith to `Abdu'l-Bahá. [GT49]
- 1927-03-00 —
Shoghi Effendi retranslated the Hidden Words.
- He was assisted by George Townshend and Ethel Rosenberg, the 'English friends' mentioned on the title page. [EJR246–7, 253–6; GT109, SETPE1p126]
- This was to be the start of an 18 year relationship of collaboration between Shoghi Effendi and George Townshend in the translation of the Writings. As well as Hidden Words, he worked on Kitáb-i-Íqán, The Dawn-Breakers, Prayers and Meditations by Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, God Passes By and by suggesting titles and writing introductions for The Dawn-Breakers and God Passes By. [SETPE1p127]
- 1932-00-00 —
Shoghi Effendi's translation of Nabíl's Narrative entitled The Dawn-Breakers was published. Maṭāleʿ al-anwār, as Nabíl's work was entitled, was the most authentic and the main primary source on the early history of the Bábí movement in Iran, was regarded by the Bahá'ís as the definitive account of the Bāb's dispensation. The work has been translated into many languages, and it has played a major role in familiarizing the Bahá'ís around the world with the historical background of their faith and helping them understand its link to the socio-religious climate of the Persian society in the early days of its development. The original Persian manuscript of Maṭāleʿ al-anwār, has been preserved at the International Bahá'í Archives in Haifa. It is comprised 1,014 pages of 22-24 lines.["Nabil-e aʿzam Zaranadi, Mollā Mohammad," by Vahid Rafati, Encyclopædia Iranica, GBF91; PP215]
- Shoghi Effendi's translation covered only the first part of Nabil's manuscript, up to 1852, and it may have been an abridgement. The original covered up until the time of the book's completion in 1890. [RR425]
- The work took him two years of research. [PP217]
- He sent Effie Baker to Iran to take photographs for the book. [PP217]
- For George Townshend's assistance to the project see GT59, 60, 64–9.
- For Shoghi Effendi's purpose in translating and editing the book see WOB123.
- See also BBD64; GBF913 PP215–18.
- In the "Acknowledgement" Shoghi Effendi credited Lady Blomfield for her suggestions, "an English correspondent for his help in the preparation of the Introduction, Mrs E Hoagg for typing the manuscript and Effie Baker for the photographs. [DB page lxi]
- See RR422-440 for other historical accounts that might be used as source documents for the Bábí-Bahá'í history.
- See Mary Maxwell's article The Re-florescence of Historical Romance in Nabil. [BW5p595]
- See Shoghi Effendi: The Range and Power of His Pen by 'Ali Nakhjavani p82 for information on the writing of The Dawn-Breakers.
- 1936-07-03 —
The World Congress of Faiths was held in London under the auspices of the World Fellowship of Faiths. [GPB342; GT123]
- Shoghi Effendi was asked in a personal letter from the chairman of the Congress, Sir Francis Younghusband, to contribute a paper, a task Shoghi Effendi delegated to George Townshend. [GT123; UD104]
- George Townshend read the paper Bahá'u'lláh's Ground Plan of World Fellowship, which had been approved by Shoghi Effendi. [BW7:635; GT132–3]
- For text of the paper see BW6:614–19.
- For the conference programme see BW7:634–45.
- 1940-06-30 — George Townshend preached a sermon in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, proclaiming the Bahá'í Faith to the congregation. [GT171]
- 1947-06-20 — George Townshend sent a letter of resignation from the Church of Ireland to the Bishop of Killaloe, naming 30 September for the effective date.
[GT195]
- 1947-09-30 —
George Townshend, at the age of 71 years, resigned his position with the Church of Ireland. [GT195]
- He was the first ordained priest of a Christian Protestant church to renounce his Orders and to become a fully accredited member of the Bahá'í community. [GT183]
- For the story of his resignation and transition to a lay life see GT199–200, 202.
- 1949-00-00 — The pamphlet written by by George Townshend to all Christians under the title The Old Churches and the New World Faith was sent out to 10,000 "responsible people" in the British Isles on the occasion of his resignation from the church. [UD470]
- 1951-12-24 —
Shoghi Effendi appointed 12 Hands of the Cause of God, the first contingent of Hands to be appointed. BBRSM127; BW12:38–40, 374–5; BW13:333–4; MBW20; PG223-224]
- They were Sutherland Maxwell, Mason Remey, Amelia Collins (she had been appointed in 1946, but her appointment had not been made public), Valíyu'lláh Varqá, Tarázu'lláh Samandarí, 'Alí-Akbar Furútan, Horace Holley, Dorothy Baker, Leroy Ioas, George Townshend, Hermann Grossmann and Ugo Giachery [GBF110–11; MBW20; PP253–4]
- 1953-00-00 —
The publication of Questions about the Second Coming by George Townshend by the Bahá'í Publishing Committee in Wilmette in response to questions asked of him by the Bahá'ís of Kampala.
- The publication is available in PDF.
- 1957-03-25 —
Hand of the Cause of God George Townshend passed away in Dublin, Ireland. (b.14 June, 1896) [BBD226, BW02-03p169]
- For his obituary see BW13:841–846.
- Shoghi Effendi is reported to have said that he was the best British Bahà'ì writer. [VAB vo1 p197]
- Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the first contingent on the 24th of December, 1951. [MoCxxiii]
- His pamphlet entitled The Old Churches and the New World Faith was his statement upon severing his relationship with his colleagues in the Anglican Church. [CBN No 89 June 1957 p1]
- A talk given by O.Z. (Zebby) Whitehead at an Irish Bahá'í Summer School.
- See The Covenant: An Analysis, a study guide on the idea of a covenant, Messengers and their missions, the covenant between the Messenger and the faithful, and covenant-breaking. Includes an appendix, compilation on the covenant. It was published in Manchester in 1950.
- See his essay The Way of the Master.
- Christ and Bahá'u'lláh was published by George Ronald in 1957. Also published by George Ronald were: Àbdu'l-Bahá - The Master, Mission of Baha'u'llah - Essays, Poems and Meditations, of One Who was Appointed a Hand of the Cause, Promise of All Ages - A Classic Description of the Baha'i Faith, and The Heart of the Gospel - The Story of the Spiritual Evolution of Humanity Using Bible Texts.
- See George Townshend - Biography from Church Canon to Hand of the Cause of God by David Hofman.
- See Shoghi Effendi: The Range and Power of His Pen by 'Ai Nakhjavani p83 for his contribution in assisting Shogh Effendi with his translation work.
- 1957-03-27 — Agnes Alexander was appointed a Hand of the Cause of God on the passing of Hand of the Cause of God George Townshend. [GBF112; MBW174; PP255]
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